The airbag in my car needs to be replaced but audi has offered no timetable as to when this may be possible. No solution is currently available. I find it disconcerting to be driving a car that has an airbag that could cause significant injury. Updated 10/10/2017
The worst 2011 Audi S5 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Airbags4
- Driver assistance1
- Transmission1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags4
- Driver assistance1
- Transmission1
Recalls 1
Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system: fuel rail
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Audi S4, S5, Q7, 2012 Audi A6, Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid, and 2012-2013 Audi A7 vehicles. In the affected vehicles the fuel injection system may experience a fuel leak.
- Risk
- A fuel leak in the injection system in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rails and corresponding seals, free of charge. The recall began on March 17, 2015. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1‑800‑822‑2834 or Volkswagen customer service at 1‑800‑893‑5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 24AP for Audi customers and 24BK for Volkswagen customers.
Recall number 15V019000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2011 Audi S5 698
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This bulletin provides informaiton on the use of the PICO-NVH tool (VAS 611 015).
- This bulletin provides information to aid in diagnosing the vehicle locking system.
- This bulletin provides information when the engine is not runing smoothly; all gas engines.
- This bulletin provides information on VIN plates, Safety Certification labels, and ordering procedures.
- This bulletin provides information for reporting safety related information to the manufacturer.
- This bulletin provides information about vibrations and rotational steering vibrations.
- This bulletin provides information when the horn sound quality is poor.
- This bulletin provides information on the zirconium insercts in the brake piston (ceramic brakes only).
- This bulletin provides information for all models regarding brake sounds.
- This bulletin provides information when there is an ABS/ESC speed sensor implausible signal.
2011 Audi S5 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6‑cyl | AWD | 17 | 26 | 20 |
| 4.2L 8‑cyl | AWD | 14-16 | 22-24 | 17-19 |
What 2011 Audi S5 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 audi s5. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 16v078000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
In 2014 I noticed that the carbon fiber insert on the passenger side was peeling off. The dealer replaced it but then told me they repaired it by accident because it should not have been covered. A few months later the carbon fiber inserts in the back seats started to peel off. Audi could not explain it. I had to tear them off because they were scratching my children when they sat in the back seat. I personally replace the inserts and noticed that the insert around the mmi was also starting to peel. Someone said that uv rays and high heat could cause this to happen. I am not happy with the quality of this product.
While inspecting my 2011 s5 after purchase I noticed that the rear window was detaching from the top. The dealer repaired as a warranty repair. A few years later the top of the convertible roof on the inside started to sag. I can't prove the dealer was at fault but they were the last to work on the convertible roof. The repair is not worth the remaining value of the vehicle and the dealer will not insure the repair more than a year. So be careful with these parts and now most of you know these vehicles have takata airbags subject to a recall which audi has not provide a time table for resolution.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 audi s5. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 16v078000 (air bags). The part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Unable to get parts for faulty mse transmission currently in my 2011. Audi upgraded because of known problems to nsy model transmission and expects owner to pay expense. They did not and have not make the customer/consumer aware of this until you forced to take it in for service due to sensors and limited functionality in driving capabilities. Vehicle hesitates and drops gears while in motion. This occurred on a major highway creating a hazardous event, in addition they will also charge you for a diagnosis and bogus service while they are already aware that the parts are not available for that transmission. Upon research I have found this is not an isolated problem, or due to driving, mileage, wear and tear, previous owner, lack of warranty or whatever else they want to come up with.
Takata recall - I have been notified by audi that the airbag in my car needs to be replaced but they have offered no timetable as to when this may be possible. No solution is currently available. I find it disconcerting to be driving a car that has an airbag that could cause significant injury.
I recently purchased a used audi s5 cabriolet. After researching the vehicle and noting several posts about the rear window detaching from the top and having a friend who just had his a5 repaired this was something I was looking for. In my inspection of the vehicle I did confirm that the top had already pulled away at the bottom of the window. I pointed this out to the salesman and the dealer agreed to fix it at no cost. While I'm getting this fixed, this is to document that this is a well known issue that audi should address. This car is in immaculate condition except for the one issue.
Compare the 2011 Audi S5
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Questions about the 2011 Audi S5
Is the 2011 Audi S5 reliable?
Owners have filed 8 complaints about the 2011 Audi S5, 1.3 times a typical S5 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Audi S5?
Airbags, with 4 complaints. Next is driver assistance (1).
How many recalls does the 2011 Audi S5 have?
1 recall, covering fuel system, gasoline.
What gas mileage does the 2011 Audi S5 get?
Official estimates for the 2011 Audi S5 range from 17 to 20 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.0L 6-cyl, AWD) gets 17 city and 26 highway.
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